E Environmental Information System (ENVIS) Resource Partner (RP) Centre
NORTH EASTERN HILL UNIVERSITY (NEHU)
SHILLONG, MEGHALAYA
Newsletter
E-Waste Management in India and
North-East India
VOLUME1 | | ISSUE3 || June 2018 –August 2018
Editorial Team
• Dr. Dinesh Bhatia, Coordinator
• Prof. Dibyendu Paul, Co-Coordinator
• Ms. Ibanrihun Thangkhiew, Programme
Officer
• Mr. Everly Marwein, Information Officer
• Ms. Balaphira Majaw, Information
Technology Officer
• Ms. Fancyful Gassah, Data Entry Operator.
Published by
ENVIS Resource Partner Centre
NEHU, Shillong – 793022,
Meghalaya.
Sponsored by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India
REDUCE
REUSE
RE
CY
CL
E
. NEWSLETTER ENVIS RP CENTRE, NEHU SHILLONG
Vol1 | Issue3 | June 2018 – August 2018 2 | P a g e
Introduction
E-waste could be a complex mix of hazardous and non-hazardous waste requiring specialized
segregation, collection, transport, treatment and transfer. E-waste is a global issue and is
relatively a new segment. It has emerged as one of the fastest growing waste stream worldwide
today both in terms of production and exports and most people are probably unaware of its
reach.
E-waste has become a global issue. A large number of E-wastes is being illegally dumped by
developed countries in the developing countries like India. A large number of E-wastes ends up
every year in the country. Some studies reported that E- waste was produced over 2 million
metric tonnes (MT) in 2016. The number is increasing rapidly as the use of electronics
increases. Almost 70 per cent of e-waste handled in India is produced elsewhere in spite of a
reported import ban on e-waste. Only 2 percent of the E-waste is recycled. Most of the remaining wastes
remains in landfills or informal dumps, leading to health and environmental concerns on account of the toxic
material found in such waste. In fact, e-waste constitutes, by far, the largest fraction of toxic waste in a landfill
in India. Even for the small fraction of e-waste that is being recycled, the informal sector handles over 90 per
cent of the recycling. The lack of tools, training and resources makes this sector - one million strong with over
50 per cent children - particularly vulnerable.
Editorial
Electronic waste or E-waste is broadly described as loosely discarded or obsolete devices connected to the power
grid which are destined for reuse, resale, recycling, or disposal. These devices include mobile phones and
charging adapters; computer and its accessories such as monitors, printers, keyboards and central processing
units, remotes, CDs, headphones, batteries, LCD TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators and other household
appliances. E-waste has many harmful metals/elements like lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium present which
require immediate and specialized treatment which can adversely affect living things including human health and
the environment.
E-waste problem in India is a twofold problem. First is the growing demand for electronic products each year
with increasing mobile phone penetration and rapid change in technology, low initial and planned obsolescence
which have resulted in a fast-growing surplus around the globe. Second, India like other developing countries has
become dumping grounds for e-waste and improper management in disposing off the electronic waste. Due to
presence of precious metals, like gold, aluminium, copper and silver, many of these discarded e-waste products
are recycled by informal recyclers in unsafe manner which are likely to create adverse impact on environment and
health. E-waste, on the other hand, can also become a great source of rare metals. If there is a proper recycler,
90% of E-waste can be useful in terms of generating electricity or power energy. It can also prevent the biggest
and most prevalent pollutants in our society.
-Dr. Dinesh Bhatia
Contents
EDITORIAL …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
E-WASTE IN INDIA …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
E-WASTE IN NORTH-EAST INDIA ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
NEWS IN NORTH-EAST INDIA ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
NEHU ENVIS RP CENTRE ACTIVITIES (JUNE TO AUGUST) ………………………………………………………………………………….
INTERNATIONAL NEWS …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
02
02
03
06
10
10
11
12
11
ENVIS RP CENTRE, NEHU SHILLONG. NEWSLETTER
3 | P a g e Vol1 | Issue3 | June 2018 – August 2018
Child Labour – Informal E-waste
Re-Cycling Sector.
According to the ASSOCHAM
study on ‘Earth Day’, 2016, about
5lakhs of children (10 to 14 years
of age) was engaged in various e-
waste activities, without personal
protection equipment.
_______________________________
Harmful effects of E-waste
Long term exposure to the e-waste
toxic substances emitted during
unsafe e-waste recycling can
damage the nervous system,
kidney, liver, brain, the
reproductive and endocrine systems
and some of them are carcinogenic
to humans.
The government has attempted to address the issue in the last few years. Number of actions/steps has been taken
by the Government in the country to enhance awareness about environmentally sound management of e-waste.
Regulations were introduced in 2008 and 2011 for the formal sector. In 2016, revised E-waste management rules,
called the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 were notified by the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and
Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to implement effectively an environmentally sound management of e-waste. On
22nd March 2018, these Rules have been amended, that were published in the Official Gazette and came into
force on the same day with the objective to channelize the E-waste generated in the country towards authorized
dismantlers and recyclers in order to formalize the e-waste recycling sector (Source: MoEF&CC).
The ever-increasing amount of E-waste is a huge and growing problem in the world which is largely ignored or
misunderstood. It is becoming a major threat and thus, it creates a need to realize the importance of managing e-
waste by developing and implementing systems that effectively utilize and recycle the discarded equipment.
Due to the advancement of technology, many of electronic products
become obsolete within a short time span, creating a huge amount of
unwanted electronic products. According to the Global E-waste Monitor
2017, published by the United Nations University, India was ranked as
the fifth largest generator of e-waste in the world besides the US, China,
Japan and Germany with an estimated of 2 million tonnes of e-waste
generated annually. However, there is no proper or clear government
record on e-waste generated in the country.
According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India
(ASSOCHAM) joint study, much of the e-waste generated is recyclable.
Computer equipment such as monitors and printed circuit boards has a
number of base metals which can be reused after melting. Unfortunately,
India is highly ill-equipped in terms of skilled labour, infrastructure,
legislation and framework to handle e-waste recycling.
Out of the total e-waste generated, only 1.5 per cent gets recycled. Most
of the remaining part ends up in landfill or informal dumpsite. In fact, e-
waste constitutes, by far, the largest fraction of toxic waste in a landfill in
India. Even for the small fraction of e- waste that is being recycled, the
informal sector handles over 90 per cent of the recycling. The informal
sector consists of mostly of shops and industries which engage contract
labourers and are dealers of electronic equipment. Recycling by informal
sector is mainly carried out by unskilled employees and manages toxic
materials without any regards to occupational health and safety
requirements Knowledge of e-waste recycling is also not prevalent
among either organizations or workers, thus allowing them to opt for the
easier path of dumping or dismantling the waste.
Most of the e-waste generated from this sector is often dumped or
dismantled, instead of being recycled properly.
E-waste is sold in the market to scrap dealers who dismantle it instead of
recycling.
Dismantling e-waste products releases further toxic emissions in the air,
causing further pollution. Most of the e-waste is dumped in rivers, lakes
or canals, causing irreparable damage to the environment.
E-waste in India
. NEWSLETTER ENVIS RP CENTRE, NEHU SHILLONG
Vol1 | Issue3 | June 2018 – August 2018 4 | P a g e
Projection of E-waste generation in India: Figure1 shows the growing trend in demand of e-wastes in India
from 2007 to 2025 as reported by The German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) and Manufacturer’s
Association for Information Technology Industry (MAIT) press release on date December 13, 2007. From the
figure, generation of e-waste increases rapidly every year and is likely to increase by nearly four times, from the
existing metric tons (MT) in 2015 by the year 2025. The predictions highlighted the urgent need to address the
problem of E-Waste in India.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Years 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025
E-waste in MT (in Lakhs) 332979 402905 487515 589893 713770 863662 1045031 1264488 1530030 1851337
0
200000
400000
600000
800000
1000000
1200000
1400000
1600000
1800000
2000000
E-W
AST
E IN
MT
FIGURE 1 : TREND IN GROWTH OF E -WASTE IN INDIA
E-waste generated in India
FIGURE 2: REGION WISE GENERATION OF E-
WASTE IN INDIA (%)
Figure 2: Of the total E-waste generated in the
country, Western India accounts the largest
volume at 35%.
(Source: Rajiv Ganguly, Department of Civil engineering,
JUIT University, Waknaghat, District Solan, Himachal
Pradesh India)
35%
30%
21%
14%
West South North East
FIGURE 3: GENERATION OF E-WASTE IN TOP STATES
IN INDIA (%)
Figure 3 shows that the State of Maharashtra ranked first in
e-waste generation in terms of percentage of 19.8% but
recycles only about 47,810 TPA (tonnes per annum)
followed by Tamil Nadu (13%) which recycles about
52,427, Uttar Pradesh (10.1%) recycles about 86,130, West
Bengal (9.8%), Delhi (9.5%), Karnataka (8.9%), Gujarat
(8.8%) and Madhya Pradesh (7.6).
(Source: ASSOCHAM, joint study, 2018)
19.8%
13%
10.1%9.8%
9.5%
8.9%
8.8%
7.6%
Maharashtra
Tamil Nadu
Uttar Pradesh
West Bengal
Delhi
Karnataka
Gujarat
Madhya Pradesh
ENVIS RP CENTRE, NEHU SHILLONG. NEWSLETTER
5 | P a g e Vol1 | Issue3 | June 2018 – August 2018
And
100 Million recycled cell phones
= enough energy to power 18,500 homes per year.
=
Figure 4 shows the top producers of e-waste in India based on annual e-waste generation. Among the top cities of
the country, Mumbai leads the major cities in generating E-waste contributing of 1,20,000 MT per year followed
by Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad and Pune.
(Source: Report released by ASSOCHAM and Frost & Sullivan, 2016.)
Figure 4 shows the generation of E-Waste in cities in Top 10 states in India. Among top ten cities generating e-
waste, Mumbai ranks first followed by Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat
1,20,000
98,000 92,000
67,00055,000
36,000 32,000 26,000
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
1,00,000
1,20,000
1,40,000
Mumbai Delhi Bangalore Chennai Kolkata Ahmedabad Hyderabad Pune
Generation of E-waste in Top Cities in India
Every year, 50 MT of E-waste generated
Only 12.5% is recycled
In 2014, 41.8 MT of e-
waste shipped to developing countries.
FIGURE 4: GENERATION OF E-WASTE IN TOP CITIES IN INDIA in (MT)
“ Although, in India, awareness and readiness for
implementing improvements is increasing rapidly, the
major obstacles to manage e-wastes safely and
effectively remain.
▪ The lack of reliable e-waste data that poses a
challenge to policy makers and to an industry
▪ Only a fraction of the e-waste (estimated
10%) finds its way to recyclers due to
absence of an efficient take back scheme for
consumers
▪ The lack of a safe e-waste recycling
infrastructure in the formal sector and thus
reliance on the capacities of the informal
sector pose severe risks to the environment
and human health
▪ The existing e-waste recycling systems are
purely business-driven that have come about
without any government intervention. Any
development in these e waste sectors will
have to be built on the existing set-up as the
waste collection and pre-processing can be
handled efficiently by the informal sector, at
the same time offer numerous job
opportunities.
”
Source: Confederation of Indian Industry, Delhi (CII)
(2006).
Trace materials from E-
waste account for 70% of toxic waste in landfills.
These can leach
out and
contaminate the
soil and water.
Worldwide E-waste
7.2 billion cell Phones are used
350,000 are thrown away every day.
Top Cities in India
In M
T
. NEWSLETTER ENVIS RP CENTRE, NEHU SHILLONG
Vol1 | Issue3 | June 2018 – August 2018 6 | P a g e
E-waste in North-East India
E-waste has started to create huge problems in the
North- Eastern parts of India also. North-east India
comprises of eight states – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and
Tripura. With the lack of awareness and the increasing
usage of electronics in these regions, the toxic waste
stream has the potential to damage the natural beauty
and resources of the nature. What concerns the most is
the toxic material waste which is largely being
collected by the scrap dealers, mixed with municipal
waste and dumped in the landfills and mostly burn
openly or leaches out and contaminates the water, soil
and air. Lack of proper recycling unit adds to the bleak
scenario.
A report released by Toxic Link, an environmental
NGO, 2013, indicated that e-waste is increasing at an
alarming rate in the North-east. In Assam, e-waste was
generated approximately 14,000 tons, Shillong, the
capital city of Meghalaya, generated roughly 446 tons
annually and approximately 18 tons of E-waste was
generated in Mizoram. These approximated figures, as
shown in figure 5, indicated the growing of E-waste in
the Northeast.
Even after the E-waste (Management and Handling)
Rules has been notified by The Ministry of
Environment and Forest notified, there is still no
bigger change on ground. Besides the large number of
e-waste generated, huge inflow of imported inferior
quality of electronics from neighbouring countries like
Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China is largely
mauling the region. (Source: Toxic Link, 2013)
Most of the people are unaware of the harmful effects
associated with e- waste. The Government along with
a few concerned organizations need to implement the
e-waste management rules and strict actions may be
taken against defaulters. There is an immediate need
of an efficient system to tackle the rising problem of e-
waste generation and to increase awareness among the
people. A joint effort by the policy makers, various
public and private organizations, the informal sector,
formal sector and the concerned citizens will surely
lead to an efficient system to restrict and manage this
growing menace the regions.
14,000
446 180
5,000
10,000
15,000
Assam Shillong Mizoram
tons
FIGURE 5: E-WASTE WAS GENERATED
(APPROXIMATE FIGURE) IN NORTHEAST INDIA
E-waste in Assam
Assam has become the sixth largest e-waste producer
in India. Most of these electronic wastes are chucked
and burned together in the informal scrap yards. This
led to the emissions of hazardous gases into the
atmosphere which could lead to severely negative
impact on both the environment and health.
In Guwahati, which is the capital city of Assam,
around 90 per cent of e-waste was disposed-off in an
unscientific manner. According to the study report of
International Journal of Innovative Research in
Science, Engineering and Technology (IJIRSET),
most of the obsolete equipment is collected by the
ragpickers from household and manufacturers. These
products end up in the hands of the informal recyclers
where recycling is done in a risky way. The obsolete
electronics collected by the scrap dealers are
dismantled into different components, where useful
components are being collected and the rest are being
dumped directly to landfill or open space. The toxic
substances which are released during the extraction
processes are mixed with municipal waste and thus
contaminate the water, soil and air posing severe
threat to the environment. Few formal e-waste
collecting centres in Guwahati are Redington India
Limited, Carrier Media India Pvt. Ltd., Zebronics
India Pvt. Ltd. and Bir Electronics Pvt. Ltd. As per the
study report of IJIRSET,
Assam Pollution Control Board reported that in 2014,
23.274 MT of e-waste was collected by the e-waste
drop points all over Assam. These collected wastes
were sent for recycling to Roorkee, Bangalore and
Hoogly.
ENVIS RP CENTRE, NEHU SHILLONG. NEWSLETTER
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Predicted e-waste in Guwahati
Based on the study made by IJIRSET on selected
electronic products, figure below shows the rising
tendency in the total amount of potential e-waste to be
generated in the upcoming years in the city of Guwahati,
which has been estimated using the e-waste calculation
method (Robinson, 2009), first being used in Germany.
Where:
i. E is the annual e-waste of a certain electronic
item (kg/year)
ii. M is the mass of the selected item (kg)
iii. N is the number of items
iv. L is the average lifespan of the item (years)
They found that the total amount of e-waste will increase
from 16.72 MT in 2016 to 22.60 MT in 2020 (figure 6).
Thus, a 35% rise is expected in the amount of e-waste
collected in the upcoming five (5) years in Guwahati. The
e-waste generation in the city is considerably dependent
on sales data and the average life span of electronic items.
E=MN/L
In 2016 in Guwahati, officials from the State
Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) of all the
seven states of Northeast India came together in a
collaborative workshop and explained why e-
waste is a rising threat in this part of the country.
The e-waste problem in Assam is more prominent
as there is a lack of awareness among electronic
good sellers and garbage collector. Also, most of
the garbage collection in Assam is an informal
sector, from the employment of collectors to the
scrap yard. This has resulted in the dumping of
both e-waste and other wastes in the same place
to be burnt together.
However, despite the rising problem, with the
revision of the E-waste Management Rules in
2016 the State Government is planning to set up
more e-waste collection centres which will act as
exclusive places for e-waste collection. People
will be able to discard or dispose of their worn
out electronic and electrical machines in these
collection centres and the e-waste collected from
these collection centres will be transported
directly to recycling centres. The State
Government will also tie up with the
municipalities to ensure that garbage collectors
would deposit e-wastes in the e-waste collection
centres and not to take them to landfills.
Awareness campaigns were conducted by the
State Government for garbage collectors to help
them identify what qualifies as e-waste so as to
help them differentiate between e-waste and other
types of waste. Similar types of campaign were
also conducted in Guwahati to spread awareness
on the problems of e-waste and on its proper
disposal. In the first awareness campaign held at
Guwahati in May 2017, over 1,250 school
students from 15 schools in Guwahati, along with
the teachers attended the program. Apart from
this Assam could become the Chief Co-ordinator
among north-eastern states when it comes to
tackling e-waste. They also have a Vision 2020
which focuses on setting up of e-waste collection
centres across major cities in the state,
collaborating with civic bodies to collect e-waste
and set up exclusive e-waste recycling plant.
In Assam, the pollution control board had issued
notices restricting the sale of e-waste to ordinary
waste collectors.
In Assam, the pollution control board had issued
notices restricting the sale of e-waste to ordinary
waste collectors.
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
14.5 15 16.5 18 20 22 22.5
To
tal
E-w
ast
e (M
T/Y
ea
r)
Year
Year
FIGURE 6: TOTAL E-WASTE PROJECTION IN GUWAHATI
TILL 2020
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Vol1 | Issue3 | June 2018 – August 2018 8 | P a g e
E-waste in Meghalaya
Like other parts of the world, Meghalaya has started facing the
problems of e-waste generation and management. With the high
demand on electronic goods like mobile phones, televisions,
computers, etc. the state import of these devices are also
increasing. With the increase of electronic and electrical gadgets
in the state there is also an increase of electronic waste which
was estimated to be about over two tonnes. In the past few years
these e-wastes were eventually sold as scrap or dumped in the
landfills along with other waste materials. However, being in
par with the other states in the country, Meghalaya had taken a
quick initiative in processing e-waste before it turns hazardous.
The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) is also
working on a plan to ensure systematic collection of e-waste in
the state. These initiatives were taken so as to ensure that the
state would not undergo the threat of improper e-waste disposal
that can harm the environment and also have a negative impact
on the health of the residents. Although Meghalaya does not
have any formal e-waste recyclers, the states is coming up with
an initiative to set up recycling plants and formal e-waste
collectors and are tie-up with authorized collection centres from
outside the states. No proper government data has been
documented by the state to date but the process has been
initiated and underway now.
MSPCB: Plans a systematic collection and disposal of e-
waste in the state
On 28th August, 2017, MSPCB was working on a plan to
ensure efficient collection and transfer of electronic squander
(e-waste) within the state. The move came within the wake of
developing environment concerns over collection and
management of e-waste, which contain among others, disposed
of electronic appliances such as portable phones, computers and
TV sets.
The Chairman of MSPCB said that the collection and disposal
of E-waste has to be done in a systematic manner so that it does
not go into the Municipal landfill or any unauthorized dealers
which will affect or harm the Environment.
The board’s Chairman further informed of a proposal to set up
an incubation centre where people can donate obsolete
electronic parts. The three agencies that intend to promote the
incubation centre are Meghalaya Basin Development Authority
(MBDA), State Council of Science, Technology and
Environment (SCSTE) and MSPCB.
The board’s chairman further informed of a proposal to set up
an incubation centre where people can donate obsolete
electronic parts. The board’s chairman further informed of a
proposal to set up an incubation centre where people can donate
obsolete electronic parts.
The board’s chairman further informed of a
proposal to set up an incubation centre
where people can donate obsolete electronic
parts. The three agencies that intend to
promote the incubation centre are
Meghalaya Basin Development Authority
(MBDA), State Council of Science,
Technology and Environment (SCSTE) and
MSPCB. The E-Waste (Management)
Rules, 2016 is applicable for every
manufacturer, producer, consumer, bulk
consumer, collection centre, dealer, e-
retailer, refurbisher, dismantler and recycler
involved in the manufacture, sale, transfer,
purchase, collection, storage and processing
of e-waste or electrical and electronic
equipment. The Rules, which came into
force on October 1, 2016, state that
Extended Producer Responsibility means
responsibility of any producer of electrical
or electronic equipment to channelize e-
waste and ensure environmentally sound
management of such waste. It was
mandatory for the producers to take back the
electronic products. The responsibility of the
Board is to enforce the rules by giving
authorization.
The status of e-waste in Meghalaya, it was
not channelized properly. As of now, a
mechanism needs to be set up to facilitate
the incubation centre with authorized
collectors for e-waste generated for not just
Shillong but other towns as well.
Source: The Shillong Times
Sensitisation Programme on E-waste:
undertaken at NEHU Shillong
NEHU ENVIS RP Centre, Shillong in
collaboration with Ronjeng Technologies,
Guwahati, organized a Sensitisation
programme on Electronic Waste (e-waste)
Management Rules, 2016 at NEHU,
Shillong on 25th June, 2018.
The programme started with a Presentation
by from M/s Rongjeng Technologies,
Guwahati on E-waste scenario in India and
the North East.
ENVIS RP CENTRE, NEHU SHILLONG. NEWSLETTER
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Participants from IIM Shillong, MSPCB, Karo Sambhav, IT &
Communication Department and different independent
institutions inside NEHU campus attended the programme
which focused on e-waste compliance.
Professor T. K. Giri from IIM Shillong talked about the issues
of E-Waste compliance in Meghalaya and the need for strong
penalization of any Organisation/Institutions/Government by
the State Pollution Board if ignoring the rules. He also stressed
on the need of skilled manpower working on E waste. The
challenges and difficulties regarding consumers not coming
forth to dispose their e-waste and the issues of e-waste
compliance in Meghalaya were discussed. MSPCB
acknowledged their readiness to help ENVIS and Rongjeng
Technologies in the process of Inventorization and collection of
e-waste in the state. Rongjeng also announced their willingness
to buy back discarded electronics products on behalf of
authorized representatives M/s Karo Sambhav, Haryana. The
Regional Manager of Karo Sambhav also acknowledged that
Rongjeng Technologies will be the authorized collector of e-
waste in the region.
Form II and Form III, provided in the E-waste Management Rules, 2016 was discussed upon. The
importance of these forms was highlighted to all present in the programme.
The programme was stressed for creating awareness which could be spread to the common people,
institutions and government offices on the importance of developing proper e-waste management rules for a
safe and healthy environment.
On-field visit for practical exposure to Samsung e-waste collection unit at Barik point: Shillong
On 21st August, 2018 the trainees of GSDP course on Waste Management and staff of ENVIS RP Centre
visited Samsung Service Centre at Barik Point, Shillong, Meghalaya to understand how E-waste Collection
is being done by the company. The objective was to make the trainees get a proper idea of how e-waste is
collected and treated further in the establishment. The trainees were explained about the hazardous waste that
comes out from disposed electronics like mobiles phones, TV sets and so on. The Collection Centre also
explained how the e-waste are packed in electro-static proof pouch to avoid any accidents during the
transportation to disposal sites. There various collection boxes were placed in the centre so that customers
can drop off any damaged or worn out electronic and electrical items.
. NEWSLETTER ENVIS RP CENTRE, NEHU SHILLONG
Vol1 | Issue3 | June 2018 – August 2018 10 | P a g e
Helpline for e-waste disposal
February 2018: Assam and the other North-eastern states
will now have a systematic approach to mitigate e-waste,
with the launch of a helpline recently. The helpline,
9706542016, was launched by M/s Ronjeng
Technologies Private Ltd, a private firm here working as
an e-waste management agency under the agency of
International Finance Corporation of the World Bank
group in a developing an ecosystem of e-waste
management in the eight north-eastern states. According
to the Centre's new guidelines, all companies in the
country will have to submit e-waste return details to the
pollution control boards of the respective states along
with the state-level e-waste management plans. In
Assam, the pollution control board had issued notices
restricting the sale of e-waste to ordinary waste
collectors. All e-waste should be sold to only authorized
e-waste collection centres, recycler, dismantler and
refurbishers according to the provisions of the e-waste
(management) rule, the notice, issued last November,
said. With the helpline, anyone can inform the firm
about availability of e-waste in their households or
office. The e-waste will be disposed of in three plants,
the TES-AMM (India) Private Ltd in Tamil Nadu, AER
Worldwide in Chennai and Eco Centric Management
Private Ltd in Mumbai. Mr. B. Gogoi also said that all
NGOs of the city who are working for Guwahati
Municipal Corporation for garbage collection and
management projects will be engaged and awareness
drives have already been carried in more than 200
schools of the state," Gogoi said.
Source: The telegraphindia.com
E-waste management/collection drive:
Meghalaya
Shillong: On 9th May, 2018 Karo Sambhav which
is an e-waste Producer Responsibility
Organization (PRO), launched an e-waste
collection drive in Meghalaya to spread awareness
on the harmful effects of e-waste and how to
recycle it. PRO is working closely with MSPCB
on reaching out to bulk consumers specially the
government departments. Karo Sambhav has
collected more than 1100 tonnes of e-waste from
across the country as part of countrywide
collection programme. In Meghalaya, the
collection is about 2,000 kgs. The government is
the biggest bulk consumer in Meghalaya; e-waste
is lying with different departments of the
government. The MSPCB issued a notification
informing all stake holders for compliance back in
early 2017. However, only 2-3 bulk consumers
filed their e-waste return.
Karo Sambhav has trained the school teacher
through the school programme of 25 high schools
in which the program consists of three phases
divided over a period of four months. In the initial
phase, based on Circular Economy, Understanding
Waste, Design for environment, e-waste
introduction and Collection, Petitions and
Potential career options in the field of
Environment teachers were given a training on
specially designed toolkit for the consisting of six
exercises purpose. Thereafter, teachers worked in
their schools with the students on various
activities, community projects, and practical
fieldwork.
Source: The Shillong Times
Conclusion
The need for awareness in the handling of e-waste has proven important as the e-waste emissions could
adversely affect the health of people exposed to such wastes material. In society today, the demand for the
modern newest and most high-tech gadgets are contributing to huge amount of e-waste and policy governing
safe transfer, disposal, recycle and reuse of e-waste is lacking. The existing system for managing e-waste is
generally not sustainable. An immediate change needs to be carried out with effective E-waste management. A
proper measure needs to be followed and people should impose more measures to secure IT disposals and strict
regulations against dumping e-waste should be enforced by the Government.
By managing the informal sector, a number of employment can be generated for the poor. A proper
government-public collaboration can help restricting if not eliminating this E-waste menace which can lead to a
better environment management and enhance resource recovery. Unless proper awareness is instilled among
people, dumping of e-waste will continue, which leads to contamination of the waters, thereby affecting the air,
land and water thereafter.
News in North-East India
ENVIS RP CENTRE, NEHU SHILLONG. NEWSLETTER
11 | P a g e Vol1 | Issue3 | June 2018 – August 2018
On World Environment Day, 2018
7th June, 2018: The ECO-Club in collaboration with ENVIS RP Centre,
NEHU, Shillong and Shillong Chapter, Indian Science Congress
Association, Kolkata organized a programme on the Theme BEAT
PLASTIC POLLUTION at Department of Environmental Studies, NEHU
Shillong in which Cleaning drive was carried out in the morning by the
students in and around the Department of Environmental Studies. The
programme started with a welcome speech by a student of the Department
of Environmental Studies.
Prof. Tiwari, Prof. Paul, Prof. O.P. Singh and Prof. Chaturvedi of the
Department of Environmental Studies highlighted and expressed their
views on the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution" and suggested measures for
less plastic consumption in our day to day life. They also talked about the
harmful effects of usage of plastic related products in our society.
Ms. Karan Donoghue, Department of Journalism and Mass
Communication, NEHU, Shillong talked about the power of pictures in our
lives and the role photographs play in giving out messages. She also
judged the winners of the Photography Competition. Prizes were given to
the winners.
Prof. Sharma, Department of Philosophy, NEHU, Shillong talked about
how philosophical values can aid in solving environmental problems and
he also adjudged the winners of the Slogan Competition. Prizes were
given for the same.
Dr. Dinesh Bhatia, the Co-ordinator of the ENVIS RP Centre, NEHU,
Shillong gave a power point presentation on the objectives, development
and progress of the ENVIS RP Centre. He highlighted the various work
and collaborations carried out by the centre since its inception and how
people can help and join in the activities of the Centre. He also highlighted
the various work and collaborations carried out by the centre since its
inception and how people can help and join in the activities of the Centre.
Prof. Devesh Walia, Head, Department of Environmental Studies talked
about the role and the programmes undertaken by the Shillong Chapter of
the Indian Science Congress Association, Kolkata. He also shared his
views on the Environmental problems and its condition at the present time.
Mr. Langshailang G. Blah, Guest Lecturer of the Department of Education,
NEHU, Shillong gave a presentation of 'Recycling of Non Biodegradable
Waste' He also demonstrated ways of recycling plastics into useful items
like book covers, bags, mats etc...
Mr. Kitboklang Sun, Research Scholar of the Department of
Environmental Studies talks on the impact plastics can have on the
environment and also the need and contribution of plastics in daily life. He
also mentioned about ways and means how people can contribute to
controlling plastic pollution.
An open quiz was held for everyone present. The programme ended with a
vote of thanks.
More Activities undertaken by ENVIS RP Centre, NEHU Shillong
. NEWSLETTER ENVIS RP CENTRE, NEHU SHILLONG
Vol1 | Issue3 | June 2018 – August 2018 12 | P a g e
International News
Guiyu, China: A woman, in
the image, is about to smash
a cathode ray tube from a
computer monitor in order to
remove the copper laden
yoke at the end of the funnel.
The glass is laden with lead
but the biggest hazard from
this is the inhalation of the
highly toxic phosphor dust
coating inside.
Monitor glass is later dumped in irrigation
canals and along the river where it leaches
lead into the groundwater. The groundwater in
Guiyu is completely contaminated to the point
where fresh water is trucked in constantly for
drinking purposes.
©2006 Basel Action Network (BAN)
In Nigeria, scrap
electronics received
from the U.S. and
Europe (75%) cannot
be resold or
refurbished and are
piled up and burned,
emitting deadly dioxin
and furans.
Essay Competition on “My Life as a Plastic Bag”
ENVIS RP Centre, NEHU, Shillong organized an event on
the occasion of World Environment Day, 2018 on the topic
“My Life as a Plastic Bag”. The notification, poster and
invitation were sent to many schools in the State of
Meghalaya. The announcement was made through Radio
RedFM 93.5 and the advertisement was also published in
the local newspapers and in the ENVIS website of NEHU.
The competition was opened to all pre-matric Students of
Meghalaya under the age of 17 years. This competition
gave the students the opportunity to share their views on the
harmful effects of plastic usage if not properly managed. 44
students from different schools of the State participated.
Essays were reviewed and scored by Expert of Judges and
in the end the Winner and Runners-up were awarded.
Cash awards were presented to the Winner: Rs 10,000/-, 1st
Runner: Rs. 5,000/-, 2nd Runner-up: Rs. 3,000/-.
Certificates and T-Shirts were presented to the Participants.
For further information,
please contact:
Dr. Dinesh Bhatia
ENVIS-Coordinator
ENVIS Resource Partner Centre,
NEHU, Shillong-793022, Meghalaya
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://nehu.ac.in/envis/
Vol1 | Issue3 | June 2018 – August 2018
All of this happens right next to residential
areas, exposing residents to toxic fumes on a
regular basis.
Source: Exporting Re-use and Abuse To Africa,”
Basel Action Network.